I hit about ten years of artistic uncertainty. Not a block. Uncertainty. I filled a lot of sketchbooks with collages, non-representational and representational drawings, color palette ideas, and abstract writing. Occasionally, I dove back into oil painting outside of the sketchbooks, but everything I made felt like pieces of a puzzle I couldn’t quite solve.

I started introducing symbolism into my oil paintings, including a series of large-scale works where I outlined the United States mainland. Why? Because… ’Merica. This is also where my political pieces started to emerge. For those works, full abstraction went out the window. Frustration has a way of silencing my words when I’m face-to-face, so I find my voice in my art.

This past spring, I stopped treating my mixed-media work like something I could shut inside sketchbooks and ignore like trash. I began taking it seriously, moving my ideas onto acrylic paper and exploring them. For so long, I thought painting was my only option, but that decision sparked a new fire. Mixed media has since become my focus because it combines everything I love: layers, paint, images, words, and color. And masking tape! Why is masking tape so beautiful?

My abstract thoughts have also started showing up in my pieces. I’m not here to explain anything, and I’m not a poet. Words are just another layer. Fragments of thought are embedded in the composition. For a long time, I kept a Frank Stella quote on my studio wall: “If you want to say something, words will work.” As an abstract painter, I agreed with him for years. Words didn’t feel necessary in my work, even though I admired artists who could pull it off.

With mixed media, I’ve started to push back on the idea that words need to serve as explanations. In my pieces, they act more like fragments of abstract thought—part of the puzzle of how I communicate meaning. Occasionally, they even get a laugh. That’s another drastic shift: I’ve stopped treating my art like a competitive sport. Instead, I’d rather enjoy creating something unexpected and reach for a genuine reaction, even if it’s confused laughter. That kind of response keeps my work approachable.

-Jenn Thompson, January 2025